Ex-Sunderland defender Tom Flanagan reveals thoughts on Lee Johnson after move to Shrewsbury Town

Johnson was dismissed at the Stadium of Light following January’s heavy defeat at Bolton, yet Sunderland did sit third in League One at the time.

Flanagan, whose contract would have expired this summer, was then allowed to join Shrewsbury, after playing regularly for the Black Cats in the first half of the campaign.

The 30-year-old defender has also revealed a conversation between former Sunderland assistant Jamie McAllister and Shrews boss Steve Cotterill helped initiate the move to New Meadow.

When asked about his time under Johnson at Sunderland, Flanagan told the Shropshire Star: "I was really, really enjoying my football and I think that's why I was playing well, because I was really enjoying it, I really liked the manager.

"I know the manager here spoke to the previous assistant manager and that's how this came about, they were like 'this would be a good fit'.

"I'm just looking to be out there and enjoying it. There's loads of pressure in football people don't realise. Football isn't particularly hard, but playing with pressure is hard.

"The previous manager (Johnson) had done really well in taking the pressure off myself and others, we'd taken lots of young kids on, for them to make their mistakes.”

Flanagan has played five times for Shrewsbury since the move and has helped the side keep three consecutive clean sheets in League One.

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